The Malaysian badminton scene has already been rocked enough over the past one week, that one can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the future. It started out with two Danish shuttlers revealing that they were approached by a Malaysian for match-fixing purposes last June, which doesn’t surprise at all considering the grave history we have with the exact pandemic.
That in itself shifted plenty of attention towards Malaysia, and left fans questioning as to whether this disease was going to seep into the epochs of local players as well, considering that we’re not exactly in the brightest period of time when it comes to Badminton. Datuk Lee Chong Wei remains the only golden boy of the nation, whereas the rest continue to be consistently inconsistent.
But when reports emerged that a Malaysian shuttler had failed a doping test, things immediately blew out of proportions. Oddly enough, if you would rewind back to the Incheon Asian Games, a Malaysian wushu athlete was actually stripped off her medal for failing her doping test. I’m not forming any euphemisms here, but make your own observations here. One was a confirmed report of failure, with an actual medal being stripped off her in an international competition. Whereas the other was initially a mere report of a national shuttler being accused of failing the test.
The latter took a higher precedence as far as the fans are concerned, because it involves a sport that is deeply entrenched within the roots of this nation. Sports is a massive part of Malaysia’s identity and over the years, badminton has always been an integral component. The Thomas Cup days, the All England days, these were all events that more often than not, brought all Malaysians together. Their eyes would be glued on the television, while holding onto their breath. It meant that much. In fact, success brought about by badminton remains a testament of pride for many of the older generation people in this country.
But in status quo, the badminton scene isn’t exactly at its prime. When the reports initially broke, the immediate knee-jerk response from many was: “Don’t tell me it’s Lee Chong Wei!” And you can’t blame them. He’s been carrying the hope of the nation for so long, he’s been the icon of inspiration for millions of people within the country. But more than that, he’s been a stellar example of success, for a country that takes pride in doing well when it comes to the international sporting arena.
The initial reports did not specifically name Lee Chong Wei, but yesterday, a local prominent daily started hinting towards his name, before a local TV station took it to a whole new level by mentioning his name and that he’s being investigated on the matter. And the customary implosion happened on Twitter and people went berserk, nonchalantly throwing around accusations and blaming him for apparently ‘shaming’ the nation.
But there was no official confirmation about him being guilty, so immediately jumping on the bandwagon was a little too dramatic. As per the rules and regulations, an athlete is still innocent till proven guilty, and in this case, the B-test results aren’t out yet, so tarnishing his reputation is relatively counter-intuitive. Khairy himself said:”If the B sample turns out to be negative, it will be unfair to the athlete as his name would have been jeopardized.”
Per contra, there is no need to shift the blame on him solely just yet, before further investigations are concluded. As Khairy Jamaluddin mentioned in his press statement, more details on the dietary plan that was derived for Lee Chong Wei, needs to be gathered and evaluated carefully.
Understandably, any doping case should never be trivialized as every decision sets precedents for future circumstances. In this case, Chong Wei has to still be accountable for any mistakes that he makes.
Besides, the sensitivity of the case certainly warrants a negative response from the public and supporters alike, but at this juncture, where there’s plenty of uncertainty floating around in the air, it’s probably best for rumours and accusations to be kept to a certain limit. And as it stands, Lee Chong Wei remains the individual that has made the country proud on numerous occasions.
If that fact ends up being placed in a debatable context within the foreseeable future, then lets cross that bridge when it arrives. For now, Chong Wei is innocent, till proven guilty.
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